"Did you help someone?" Dreck asked, looking surprised at Jason.
Jason glared back at him, trying to hide his discomfort. A forced smile appeared on his face. "I helped out of pity. She was old enough to be my mother," he said, shrugging as they walked into the warm house, which felt cozy after the cold outside.
Dreck smiled and teased, "Oh, my kind-hearted friend! How about you treat me to dinner tonight?"
"How can that happen?" Jason replied, laughing as Dreck playfully shoved him.
"Speaking of which…" Jason said abruptly, sitting down on the couch, feeling the weight of their conversation. "I gave the nurse your number. She'll contact you soon."
"What? You gave my number to her?" Dreck asked, confused.
"I told her, 'Contact this number for payment when the bill is ready,'" Jason said, smirking.
"Are you serious? You help someone, and now you expect me to pay? This isn't how it works!" Dreck said, disbelief in his voice.
"What's worrying you? You can cover it," Jason replied, raising his eyebrows with a teasing grin. "Oh, and she has a daughter who might be pretty."
"You've lost it, man," Dreck said, rolling his eyes. He headed toward his room and added, "Just hope I don't get any calls about this."
"Am I still treating you to dinner tonight?" Jason called after him, keeping the teasing tone in his voice.
"Go treat your online girlfriend to a meal," Dreck said with a sarcastic tone as he walked into his room.
"I'm sorry, man…" Jason chuckled in response.
★★★The Next Day at the Hospital★★★
A nurse hurried into the hospital room where Mrs Jenkins was being cared for.
"Good morning, ma'am; how are you feeling?" she asked kindly.
"I'm doing well, thank you," Mrs. Jenkins replied with a smile.
"Um, a man asked to see you; he's waiting by the door…" the nurse said, slightly nervous.
"I told you I won't see anyone except my daughter!" Mrs. Jenkins exclaimed.
"Does that include me?" a voice asked as the door opened to reveal a man in a suit, looking like he was in his late 40's.
Mrs Jenkins glared at the man before turning her attention to the nurse. "You can leave now," she said firmly.
"Thank you, ma'am," the nurse said, quickly exiting the room.
"I assume they called you since Clio's number isn't on my phone," Mrs. Jenkins remarked, avoiding eye contact.
"Yes, that's right," he replied, his voice sounding a bit anxious.
"What's with that tone? You don't sound like the Jenkins I remember," she questioned, her suspicion growing.
"That's beside the point… What did you do to Clio today?" she asked seriously.
"Did she say I did something?" he replied with a mocking tone.
That tone—it was classic Jenkins.
"When are you going to stop? Why are you being so cruel to her? She is our daughter…" Mrs. Jenkins demanded.
"That sounds amusing…" he said dismissively.
"I don't think it's funny anymore. I'm going to file for a divorce. I can't let our daughter keep getting hurt by her father," Mrs Jenkins answered, her voice firm.
"Are you threatening me with a divorce?" he scoffed.
"It's not just a threat; you'll see it happen," she shot back.
"How dare you?" he said, tightening his grip around her neck.
"Let go of me…" she gasped, struggling to break free as his hold became suffocating.
★★★
"Hey, nurse, good day!" Clio greeted the nurse with a smile.
"Are you here to see your mom?" the nurse asked.
"Yeah, of course…" Clio replied.
"She's currently with a visitor…" the nurse noted quickly.
"Visitor?" She asked in shock "Can I get a description, please"
"A man, in his late 40's. About this tall….."
"Jenkins!!!" Clio screamed as she ran into the ward without waiting for the nurse to complete her statement
★★★
"No one is going to save you today, not even that fool you call a daughter…"
"Jenkins!" Clio thundered as she burst through the door, the heavy wood slamming against the wall with a resounding crash.
"Let go of her...NOW!" Clio shouted, her heart pounding as she took a daring step forward, adrenaline surging through her veins.
"Are you going to do anything?" Jenkins sneered, amusement dancing in his eyes.
"Please, just let my mum go... I'll do anything you want!" Clio begged, dropping to her knees
"You are aware of my strong desire to avoid any further encounters with either of you?"
The words hung heavy in the air, dripping with bitterness.
"It is my fervent wish to wake up one day and find that both of you are no longer in my life," Jenkins declared with fierce determination, his eyes narrowing as he spoke.
"I… I.." Mrs Jenkins struggled to articulate her thoughts, her voice barely above a whisper. The pressure tightening around her throat made it increasingly difficult to speak. The blood pressure monitor, a stark and lifeless reminder of her fragile condition, beeped insistently, displaying a worrying reading of 200/140.
"Father, I implore you to release Mother," Clio pleaded, her heart racing with fear and desperation. She understood all too well the peril of challenging Jenkins directly.
As her voice rang out, Jenkins's grip on Mrs. Jenkins tightened ominously. He leaned in closer, his breath warm against her ear, and hissed, "Just go to hell, dear wife..."
"No..." Clio screamed, her panic transforming into action as she launched herself toward the bed, desperate to intervene and protect her mother.
The monitor's beeping grew more frantic, a sonic alarm signifying the urgency of the moment. At that instant, a nurse rushed into the room, followed closely by a doctor, their white coats billowing as they entered.
"What is happening here?" The nurse cried out, her eyes wide with concern as she dashed toward the bedside. In that flash of panic, Jenkins quickly loosened his grip on Mrs. Jenkins; the tension in the room was palpable.
"Nurse, could you explain the significance of this alarming sound?" Jenkins posed, attempting to redirect the focus away from his actions, his voice calm but with an undercurrent of defensiveness.
Clio, still in shock, glanced at her father with disbelief, her mother's frail form trembling in her grasp.
"How did her blood pressure rise so drastically? She appeared stable just moments ago," the nurse explained, Mrs tone urgent but controlled as she relayed information to the doctor.
"We need to stabilize her immediately... she is exhibiting clear signs of distress," the doctor responded, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Did any incident occur before this spike in her condition?"
"Yes... He—"
"Nothing occurred..." Jenkins interrupted, his voice cutting through Clio's statement like a knife, effectively silencing her.
"Very well, you both need to step outside for now. I assure you, she will receive the care she requires," the doctor assured them with a steady, reassuring smile that belied the gravity of the situation.
"Thank you, Doctor," Clio replied, bowing slightly as she cast a lingering glance at her mother, her heart heavy with worry, before walking out of the room.
"Did anything significant happen?" the doctor inquired gently, his voice softened as he turned his attention to Mrs. Jenkins.
She drew in a shaky breath, gathering her thoughts, before finally whispering, "Yes, nothing of consequence," her words laced with an unspoken weight.
"You appear quite pale. It is entirely understandable if you would prefer not to discuss the events that transpired," the nurse offered empathetically. "I will prepare your medication now," she added kindly.
"Thank you, Doctor, thank you, Nurse," Mrs. Jenkins said with gratitude as she accepted her medication, a slight tremor in her hands.
The doctor and nurse exchanged warm, encouraging smiles, bowing slightly as they exited the room, leaving behind a stillness punctuated by the beeping monitor.
"I wish to awaken one day to the knowledge that both of you have ceased to exist." Jenkins's harsh words echoed hauntingly in her mind, evoking a torrent of emotions that culminated in tears streaming down her cheeks, each drop a reflection of her pain and fear.